By Lisa Steiner
Urinetown The Musical, Nebraska Repertory Theater, Thursday April 24, 2025
The Nebraska Repertory Theater is putting on the oddly-named Urinetown The Musical this weekend and next and may I say it is a hoot! The show that calls its own title bad is highly aware of itself and isn’t afraid to let you know it. Be prepared for the best bad puns, full belly laughing, and bulldozing of the fourth wall as they hit this satire out of the park.
Urinetown The Musical is the story about a world where there’s an existentially bad drought and the consumption of water, including the use of toilets, is in control of the wealthy corporation Urine Good Company (UGC). Public “amenities” are attached with fees, private bathrooms are no longer legal, and public urination is still cause for punishment under the law too. The common people of this community (also known as The Poor) are often barely making ends meet, which becomes problematic when nature calls. In fact, get caught by law enforcement skirting any of these regulations and it could be off to Urinetown for you! No one quite knows what that means, where it is, or what happens there, and that’s just the way the system wants it to be.
Our two worlds intersect through Bobby Strong and Hope Cladwell (James Rasser and Hannah Yohe, respectively), who connect in an instant once they meet. Bobby is inspired to find a better way to live, telling his friends and family of Amenity #9 that the world ought to be able to “pee for free,” and convinces them to revolt against the fees that are set by the legislature and enforced by UGC. Little does Bobby know that Hope is the daughter of the CEO of UGC, Caldwell B. Cladwell (Robbie Exstrom). From here, we watch as the fight for freedom ensues, whether that means a happy ending or not. Not all musicals have happy endings after all.
From the opening number to the finale, the cast is strong. We have narration from Officer Lockstock (Luke Stursma). Along with Officer Lockstock is Officer Barrell (Aaron Harrel). These two are in sync the entire time and were even a little eelish, like Flotsam and Jepson in The Little Mermaid. They and the ensemble were a highlight of the show during the number “Cop Song,” which featured some sharp choreography.
Exceptional performances were seen from Yohe as Hope and Brianna Stai as Penelope Pennywise. Yohe and Stai both are powerhouses, with Yohe’s soprano and Stai’s mezzo filling the room with prowess. Yohe even impressed me with a long-held “away” during “Run, Freedom, Run.” Super random but worth mentioning.
Exstrom was animatedly evil as Mr. Cladwell and he was just the kind of villain you love to hate. Rasser as Bobby gave an inspiring presence and the audience ran away with him during his solo of “Run, Freedom Run.” I enjoyed the crazed Adian Upton as Hot Blades Harry and Faith Polivanov as Little Becky Two Shoes in their rendition of “Snuff That Girl.” April Plascencia was sweet and incorrigible as Little Sally, and Hattie Chavanu was kooky and super agile as Josephine Strong.
This production does a great job of featuring just about everyone on stage at some point or another. The entire cast really was outstanding and had solid performances across the board. Everyone understood the assignment of the satire, and each person had their own well-defined character that they brought to life.
Costumes by Breeanna Pierce were excellent, and I appreciated the juxtaposition of what The Poor and the Staff of UGC wore through color themes and variances in structure. The lighting design by Caroline Nowak was rich, vibrant, and ultra-dramatic as needed. The set by Scenic Designer Sariah Roberts was delightfully gritty and equally classy when needed, and was versatile for what the story needed.
I love a live orchestra and this one led by Kaleb Wilkening was top notch; I would’ve loved to hear the band a little louder since they were so good. Special hats off to Bryan Canonigo on reeds, who brought a nice contrast of instruments throughout and really wailed during the exit music.
Stage management by Savannah Stermer kept the show going at a great pace, including slick scene changes that moved with the rhythm of the action.
Overall, this production was led well by Director Ann Marie Pollard and Musical Director Suna Gunther, who clearly were on the same page about bringing their vision to the stage.
You better get your tickets to this hilarious show that is packed full of talent. It’s running at The Rep April 25 through April 27, and April 30 through May 4. Performances Wednesday through Saturday are at 7:30pm, with shows on Sunday at 2:00pm. Purchase tickets online at https://nebraskarep.org/ or by coming to or calling the box office at (402) 472-2567. Don’t wait!
Lisa Steiner is a long-time lover of theater and the arts who enjoys performing, music directing, and filling the role of patron. During the day, Lisa works for the Department of Health and Human Services. In her free time, Lisa enjoys trying to get her two cats to get along, watching sitcoms on repeat, and traveling.
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